Green Event Services helps you learn what waste goes where

When it comes to recycling in Calgary, I thought I had it all figured out. After all, we don’t even have to sort our recycling here! Then I signed up to work for Green Event Services at Calgary’s annual Lilac Festival.

My job at the event was to help festival goers put their waste in the correct bins: compost, mixed recycling, bottles and cans, or garbage. Naturally, I had to learn what really goes where, and although I thought I was already a recycling know-it-all, I came to learn that, in fact, I was not.

Here are a few common items that I thought you could recycle or compost, which actually belong in the trash:

• Coffee cup lids. So you already knew that the cup itself was trash, right? Sadly, despite the recycling symbol, the lids are garbage too. They’re too small to be processed at Calgary’s recycling facility.
• Straws. Nice try, but these guys are garbage.
• Bottle caps/lids. Yup, these are trash! Again, way too small to be processed.
• Plastic cutlery. These are not the kind of plastic you can recycle (but look for wood cutlery or cutlery with a key hole in the handle – these kinds are compostable).
• Crunchy plastic. If you can stick your finger through the plastic, it’s recyclable. If not, it’s garbage.
• The brown “to-go” containers with the flaps. These are tricky. Generally, the brown boxes with the flaps are garbage as they have a wax coating that lines their inside which cannot be composted. Unless it has a leaf symbol or clear branding that says it’s compostable, it’s trash.
• Plastic cups of all kinds. This includes the cup you got your iced latte or smoothie in. Yes, I know they have a recycling symbol, but these guys are garbage. Unfortunately.

So the next time you’re about to recycle something take note of whether it’s one of the items listed above. If so, I’m sorry to say it’s going to have to go in the trash (regardless of how much you want to recycle or compost it). If you’re at an event where Green Event Services is present, look for the staff or volunteers (usually in green t-shirts) at the recycling stations and ask them to direct you. We want to help you learn what goes where!

TAKE ACTION:

1. Want to make Calgary events greener? Contact Green Event Services for more information about working an upcoming event.
2. The next time you're at a city-wide event or festival, look for the lovely Green Event Services staff in green t-shirts. Say hello and let them help you learn what waste goes where.
3. Learn more about Green Event Services by visiting them online, or following them on Twitter or Facebook.
4. Looking for waste management for your own event? Click here to check out the different options that Green Event Services offers.
5. Vote for Green Event Services as your favourite local business in REAP's 2017 Be Local Awards!